Chapter 90

Hwang Mu-yeol, holding a Hand Axe, acted as the Tanker at the front, while the S-Rank Mages from Oracle rained down all sorts of magic from behind.

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-

In their midst, I swung Durandal while simultaneously casting magic.

It was called a hunt, not a battle, from the very beginning.

Naturally, the creature didn’t have the strength to handle five S-Ranks.

It couldn’t put up any real resistance until its shield was completely depleted.

Even then, the Barrier was sturdy. The insane aftermath of the battle couldn’t escape outside the Barrier.

Because of that, its final escape attempt ended in failure.

“Ah…”

The creature let out a death cry, as if its last hope had vanished.

Before even 30 seconds had passed in real time.

The first Demon High Priest fell to his knees.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“Keoheok!”

As if something was so unfair, the creature glared at me with a face full of malice.

“Looking at the situation, we’re the ones who look like Demons.”

Although everyone agreed with Hwang Mu-yeol’s words, no one showed the creature any mercy.

When Hwang Mu-yeol raised his Hand Axe.

I shook my head.

“Just a moment.”

“Hm?”

“Let’s keep this one alive. There’s something I want to ask.”

“Something to ask? Don’t these things resist torture?”

Normally, that would be the case, but I could do it.

Divinity is poison to them.

But in another sense, it ended in failure.

Because it started chanting that damn incantation again.

“O Almighty Demon God…”

It was as if I could see right through it, like with Clairvoyance.

Tadak, tadak-

The incantation the Demon chanted used their own life force as collateral.

It was a type of contract where, just before death, they would burn their Source Vitality to receive the power of that so-called Demon God.

For a moment, I hesitated.

Should I face the creature after it burned all its Source Vitality, or should I kill it right here?

“Your servant craves your power…”

The hesitation was brief.

Seogeok-

Red blood splattered as the creature’s head was cleanly severed.

“Aigoo, tsk tsk. What are we going to do, not finding anything out.”

He said that, but a smile bloomed on Hwang Mu-yeol’s face.

“A High Priest, a High Priest. I’d only heard about them, but they give this much?”

The ones from Oracle, Murata and Mahinda, had satisfied expressions.

It was because of the generous Experience Points.

“At this rate, we’ll finish this all today, won’t we?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“It was a good decision to follow.”

Hwang Mu-yeol, Murata, and Mahinda, who had each said a word, looked at me.

As if asking how much Experience Points I, who had participated most directly in the battle, had gained.

Naturally, nothing came to me.

Because the System had gifted me with a Potential Rank of F.

Thanks to that, no matter how many Monsters I caught, only this message would appear.

-Potential Rank has reached its limit.

-Experience Points will not increase.

-Automatically distributed to other Party members.

I clicked my tongue and said.

“Let’s move on to the next one.”

My Mana Heart had been itching for a while now.

It was clamoring for me to engage in a real battle, not a hunt.

I suppressed and suppressed my restrained instincts until I reached my limit.

In the end, I raised the white flag to my Mana Heart.

“I will fight alone. I’ll give a signal if I need help.”

This was the third High Priest, and my test subject.

The four S-Ranks nodded and blocked off each of the four directions.

With their energy raised to the maximum so they could kill the creature at any moment.

The hunt proceeded in that manner.

Like a general in the army playing soccer with his soldiers.

The outcome was already decided. I was just controlling the process as I pleased.

In other words, it meant I could gauge how much stronger I had become without any Risk.

The creature wore a shameful expression, as if it had become a zoo monkey.

“What’s the matter? I’m just giving back what you guys used to try and catch me.”

With those words, I launched myself toward the creature.

It began with my preemptive strike. I thrust my sword.

Shweeeek-

My Absolute Sense had been on for a while, so my current speed had easily broken the sound barrier.

The air screamed and burst apart.

The creature didn’t just stand there and take it.

Realizing it couldn’t escape, it stretched out its hand.

Its way of handling Demonic Energy was through flames.

A red and pitch-black inferno covered my entire field of vision.

It must have been its full power.

The Fire Demon broke through my shield and entered.

Since its death was already certain, it was probably trying to take me with it to the afterlife, no matter what.

I waved my hand.

The air, hot as midsummer, was pushed back in an instant. My vision brightened, and I could see the others.

When are you going to step in, when. They were flinching as they watched me, looking anxious.

The battle was just beginning.

[Extreme Death]

[Mourning of the Bleeding]

Two Curse-type Advanced Magic spells flew toward the creature.

This was different from my Sparring Match with Jung Hye-in.

Back then, my magic could only give an S-Rank a startling jolt, but look at this creature now.

“Keuk…”

Clutching its head, the creature sank to the ground.

I swung as if to cut it down, aiming for its head.

As I said before, a High Priest-level was an even match for me.

Soon, the creature opened its maw.

If I took a direct hit from the energy condensed there, not even I could guarantee my survival.

[Spatial Leap]

The moment I closed and opened my eyes, I could see the back of its head.

Kwaaaaaa-

The Breath that spewed from its mouth shook the Barrier.

The whole world was crimson. I could feel the space distorting. Low-Rank Awakeners would not escape death just by being near here.

But there was no need to worry.

The Barrier that Ian had taught me about from the book was still sturdy.

Shattered bedrock was soaring up with clumps of dirt.

I stepped on it and closed the distance at full speed.

There was no hesitation.

I swung Durandal.

Bzzzzzt.

An Aura Blade filled with lightning power extended toward the creature.

Kwang!

My vision flashed. At the same time, I felt pressure from the top of my head.

I knew without seeing it with my own eyes. The creature’s arm was trying to crush me.

When I forced my eyes open, the creature’s face was right in front of me. Durandal wasn’t in my hand.

As my vision recovered, I grasped the situation.

I was pinned precisely underneath the creature.

It grinned.

-You shouldn’t have been so arrogant.

Just then, a horrified Hwang Mu-yeol was about to rush over. Murata and Mahinda were on the verge of using their Skills.

I stopped them with a hand gesture and continued the fight.

[Reflection Barrier]

When the creature’s hand-blade struck the center of my neck, its head was instead thrown back violently.

That was the difference between me and it.

While my attack patterns were endless, the creature had at most ten Skills in its arsenal.

[Attraction]

Durandal, which had been far away, flew into my hand as if it had a homing device.

[Repulsion]

The creature’s body, which had been crushing me until a moment ago, flew into the air.

Kooong!

I stood up at ultra-high speed, then stomped on the creature’s chest.

I thrust Durandal.

Drrrrrrrk-

The blade, filled with lightning power, finally pierced its heart.

It wasn’t over.

The lightning power spread out in tendrils, turning its insides into a mess.

Its entire body convulsed violently. It was its instinct to live, and also its final struggle.

But the victor had been decided long ago.

Its skin and tissues all melted away. By the time even its eyeballs had burned up.

I thrust the sword in with all my might one more time.

Kwajik-!

I was finally able to completely shatter its heart.

Thud, it collapsed.

My Mana Heart danced a victory dance. It grows by feeding on thrilling battles.

Perhaps I’ll be able to win a little more easily next time.

Anyway.

Haha.

I had expected it, but I won against an S-Rank.

Finally, I.

It was the moment I truly felt that I had become a real S-Rank.

“You crazy bastard. You’re laughing? Right now?”

As if they had been waiting, Hwang Mu-yeol and the Mages approached me.

Their expressions were stiff.

“We need to go back. Right now.”

Hwang Mu-yeol said, horrified.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Hwang Mu-yeol fretted, looking at my arm.

It was because of the Breath the creature had spewed. I tried to dodge it, but it was a part I couldn’t quite avoid.

My left arm was burned black.

Even so, he told me not to worry, saying that with a few A-Rank Healers, there might be a scar, but it would be fine.

But I thought differently.

If I didn’t amputate my left arm right now, I would be in danger too.

“Wait a moment.”

The Lu Order’s main source of income was to demand payment for healing injured people with Divinity.

Naturally, the best among them was the Pope, and the second was the Saintess.

Fortunately, I knew how the Saintess wielded her Divinity.

Something clicked in my head.

Just as I had focused my power, I unleashed the Mana in my upper Dantian.

Hwaak-!

Divinity burst from my left arm.

It was instantaneous.

Not only was the peeled skin restored, but even the melted bone that had been exposed was regenerated.

Like new.

Magic, sword, and even healing skills.

At this point, I was curious how the System would define my class.

“Uh, uh…”

I looked to the side.

Hwang Mu-yeol opened and closed his mouth, speechless. Mahinda and Murata were staring wide-eyed, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

I tossed out a comment.

“Two more left. Let’s finish up quickly and go back.”

Oh Jeong-hun had nothing to do.

The handover, which couldn’t even be called that, had ended long ago, and standing guard at the forest entrance was also meaningless.

Thanks to Choi Gi-woong, not even a single mouse could get through.

The world was calling Jeju Island the land of death.

Especially because of the Jeju Island video that spread due to Choi Gi-woong’s actions, the image of it being a place of hardship had become even stronger.

But reality was the opposite.

Generous support from large corporations, and idle people with nothing to do.

This was the reality of Jeju Island now.

Oh Jeong-hun had lived in tension for the past two months and 26 days on Jeju Island, so he wasn’t used to the current situation.

So what he chose was sleep.

He planned to get a full night’s sleep, which he couldn’t get while standing guard and fending off swarms of Monsters.

But as they say, only those who have slept a lot can sleep well. His eyes wouldn’t close.

In the end, Oh Jeong-hun, who had scrapped his plan to laze around in his room all day, came outside.

Kang Min-jeong, who had made a similar plan and then scrapped it, was writing something with her hair a bird’s nest.

“What are you doing?”

“Writing a report.”

Oh Jeong-hun snorted at Kang Min-jeong’s words.

“Report, my ass. You still haven’t thrown away your European travel plans?”

“I threw them away and then picked them back up. Seonbae, what did you do with the will you were writing?”

“I threw it away.”

The two of them giggled.

“Oh, right. Did you hear? Min-su decided to stay here this time.”

“What? Is that guy in his right mind? He’s staying here for another three months?”

“Yes. I heard Yu-jin isn’t returning this time either.”

“…What’s going on? Have they all gone crazy?”

“I know, right?”

No matter how peaceful Jeju Island had become, he had no desire to stay on the stuffy island any longer.

It was then.

“Im Ji-min? What are you doing in the situation room?”

Im Ji-min, who appeared holding a pen, said.

“I want to stay on Jeju Island for another three months. What do I need to do to apply for non-return?”

Oh Jeong-hun and Kang Min-jeong looked at each other.

It wasn’t just one or two, but three people already.

In terms of percentage, a whopping 10% had stated they would not be returning.

No, there was still one more day left, so that number could increase even more.

Kang Min-jeong asked dubiously.

“You were whining about wanting to go home. Just a week ago.”

“Ah. I was like that back then.”

“‘Ah, I was like that back then?’ What’s with the wistful tone?”

“I feel like if I go back now, I won’t have a chance to use the Hunting Grounds.”

“…What? Hunting Grounds?”

At Oh Jeong-hun’s question, Im Ji-min looked rather surprised.

“The Hunting Grounds, the Hunting Grounds. You didn’t know? Ah. Come to think of it, you two haven’t taken a single step out of your rooms. You even ate your meals inside.”

Oh Jeong-hun gestured with his chin, a frustrated look on his face.

“Right, right. So hurry up and tell me. What are the Hunting Grounds?”

“They’re literally Hunting Grounds… Want to follow me?”

Im Ji-min, having grabbed her Items, beckoned for them to come out.

Oh Jeong-hun and Kang Min-jeong, who followed her in a daze, soon frowned.

“This is the forest.”

The Jeju Island branch’s mission was, first and foremost, defense.

Entering the forest directly? That was an act permitted only to S-Ranks like Jung Hye-in.

Or something you only entered in truly unavoidable circumstances.

“The Hunting Grounds are inside here.”

Im Ji-min, who nodded confidently, began to write her name on the entry log at the forest entrance.

Oh Jeong-hun, who glanced at the log, tilted his head again.

According to the log, more than twenty people had already gone inside.

‘Have these people all gone crazy?’

Since Choi Gi-woong rebuilt the barrier, not a single Monster could get out.

Did the forest seem like a pushover now?

No, that’s not it.

Not even a full week had passed since the day of victory.

There was no way such a soft-hearted feeling could have set in already.

In this case, it was more rational to assume there was information he didn’t know.

It was just that he couldn’t possibly guess what it was.

So he wrote his name on the entry log and entered the forest.

Hoping and praying that a terrible topographical change wouldn’t happen at this very moment.

And, a short while later.

Oh Jeong-hun saw it. The endlessly stretching Gates. And the Hunting Grounds laid out before them.

From one of the Gates, a cause of Jeju Island’s current state, Orcs poured out.

The moment Oh Jeong-hun pulled out his weapon with a serious expression, Im Ji-min stopped him.

“Whoa, whoa, Seonbae! You can’t kill-steal!”

“What?”

The next moment, an arrow flew from somewhere.

Pyut- Pyut-

The flying arrow lodged itself in an Orc.

The creature collapsed.

He looked back. Choi Soo-jung was quickly nocking an arrow to her bow.

So far, no problem.

However.

“Why is the terrain like this?”

The trees that made up the Demon Realm Forest were formed into trenches, creating a fortified position.

As if it were a space made for a Ranged Dealer.

The Orcs had to climb a slanted slope to kill Choi Soo-jung.

And what Choi Soo-jung had to do was very simple.

From up there, hunt the Monsters trying to climb up.

The next moment, Kim Soo-gyeom’s sword dealt with an Orc that Choi Soo-jung had missed.

“Chwileuk.”

The Orc, its heart pierced, disappeared into particles.

The next moment, the Gate at the bottom of the trench spat out a Monster.

The same process repeated.

Lee Won-sik drew Aggro, Choi Soo-jung shot arrows, and Kim Soo-gyeom finished them off.

Just like an RPG game he used to play, they were ‘hunting’ Monsters.

As he stared blankly at the scene, Kim Soo-gyeom frowned, showing his displeasure.

“This is our spot.”

Im Ji-min hastily apologized and dragged the dazed Oh Jeong-hun and Kang Min-jeong forward.

The spot Im Ji-min chose was an area with a narrow entrance.

[Goblin, C-Rank, Melee Solo, Speed 3.]

“What… is this sign?”

“Monster name, difficulty, suitable hunting type, and Respawn rate.”

“…What?”

“Monster name, difficulty…”

“No. It’s not that I didn’t know.”

He was confused whether what he was seeing was a dream or reality.

“You just have to press the start button.”

It was just as Im Ji-min said. When she pressed the red button, Goblins poured out of the black Gate that had appeared in front of them.

The Goblins’ strength was that they moved in groups.

But the terrain was not favorable to them.

Blocked by the narrow path, the Goblins were forced to rush at Im Ji-min one by one.

Im Ji-min’s spear stabbed the Goblins, puk, puk.

It was similar to the scene he had just witnessed.

Helplessly, the Goblins disappeared into particles.

-Experience Points Acquired! 158exp!

-Experience Points Acquired! 163exp!

“When one turn ends like this…”

A timer next to the button activated.

3 minutes. 2 minutes 59 seconds. 58 seconds.

“If you want to stop, you can just press the button again.”

Oh Jeong-hun and Kang Min-jeong stood there, at a loss for words.

“So…”

“It really is a Hunting Ground…”

The two of them muttered as if their souls had left them.

Even at a glance, the number of Hunting Grounds was too many to count.

There were over 100 visible to the naked eye.

In a Dungeon, you can read the intent of the Monster that created the Dungeon.

For example, a Goblin Dungeon is spread out like a wide open space, and Lizards, who like Ambushes, often have soft ground underneath.

And here, the creator’s intent for these Hunting Grounds was.

‘To raise Awakeners easily, quickly, and safely.’

That’s how Oh Jeong-hun felt. One could become stronger without anyone getting hurt, without risking their lives.

I can guarantee it. With even the Association’s slogan changing, that would be no easy feat.

And yet, here in this place called hell, on Jeju Island, that very thing was happening.

“So you’re saying… Choi Gi-woong made this?”

It was hard to believe, but apparently so.

“Good god.”

What kind of Awakener in the world could possibly do something like this?

There’s no way an S-Rank could do something like this.

Isn’t this literally the realm of the gods?

Suddenly, Oh Jeong-hun looked to his side.

Kang Min-jeong, who had been rummaging through her pockets, pulled something out.

It was the European travel itinerary she had been writing since earlier.

She tore it to shreds.

“Seonbae. I’m staying here too.”

As if mesmerized, Oh Jeong-hun nodded his head.

“Me too.”